


This Is Our Story

by saltytimesseventy



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Kara (Tech Demo)
Genre: Revolution!Kara, all three protagonists get to interact, also alice is human in this, also takes things from the tech demo, au-ish, cause it kinda disappointed me a little, i still like kara's OG story tho, kara managed to escape the first time around so she was never reset, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-07-15 16:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16066817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltytimesseventy/pseuds/saltytimesseventy
Summary: From the moment she was created among other AX400s, Kara was excited to exist, feel and be alive; so much she fought for that. With only having to keep quiet about the feelings she has, she's set free into the world; transferred between several families until she reaches the home of a certain Todd Williams and his daughter, Alice.When she finds out what's really going on, however, she'll feel the urge to break out,  to help other androids just like her, to discover who she really is and maybe even find family.An alternate take on Kara's story, using ideas from the original tech demo and making it more woven into the ones of other characters.





	1. Creation

**Author's Note:**

> I made this story because I had an idea when I was watching the original teaser for Detroit: Become Human and thinking about Kara's story, as well as the tech demo. Don't get me wrong, I still love it as it is, but this is kind of an AU, maybe because I wanted to think of what happened if Kara managed to escape the first time around, plus some backstory from the original tech demo and partly because I thought about what would happen if her story was woven more into other characters. Sorry if the first chapter is a little short, though it's just a prologue for the story and I'll try and make the chapters a bit longer afterwards.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An AX400 is brought into the world, just as any other android would. Though unlike the rest of them, she's excited to be alive...
> 
> And she'll face some problems because the world isn't ready to accept it.

At the very beginning, there was nothing; only darkness, and a slight whirring of machinery as it moved around.

She could hear someone muttering to themself in a quiet voice, though their words slowly became clearer. Soon enough, her vision was restored, and the android felt unbridled shock at the sensation of _every_ line of code working inside her, of _blue blood_ flowing through her veins...

Her eyes flew open in an instant, and for the first time she saw light.

" _Hey, can you hear me?_ "

Staring at her surroundings, the android was amazed at the vastness of a room with pale walls, several pieces of machinery reaching out and fixing her parts together. It was new to her but still so _familiar_ , and her eyes fell on a human pressing various buttons on a tablet behind a pale white desk, the machines working on his command.

Her programming automatically told her to answer the question, and she obliged.

"...Yes."

"Good, you weren't responding for a while there. Serial number?"

She recited it almost without effort, her voice clear amongst the buzzing sound of plastic being fixed to her body, forming arms, and then her legs. "Model _AX400, 579 102 694_."

The operator in front of her nodded as he typed the information once more, having seen this before with every android on the assembly line.

"Can you move your head?"

She obliged, looking to the left and the right, and finally returning to the middle.

"Okay...your eyes, now?"

The android's eyes flickered upwards and to the left, scanning the place for a moment.

"So the cervical and optical animation's alright," The man gave a sigh, leaning on his desk. "What's your function?"

"I am an AX400 model, designed to do simple tasks such as cleaning your house, or minding the kids while you're away." She stated without thinking, her voice having a soft but pleasant tone. "I have exactly 9000 children's stories and 7500 lullabies in memory, and can even be set to act as a sexual partner if you wish. Do you want to give me a name?"

The operator blinked at her with wide eyes, taking in everything she had just said, and he paused, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "...No. No, not yet."

"That's okay," The AX400 only smiled at him, still reeling in bliss at the pure emotion and wonder that came from the situation. "You can name me at any time."

The next few tests were short and sweet - simple things like ensuring she could move her arms, and actually be able to speak multiple languages as she had described moments before. And finally, she could only watch in amazement as the white plastic of her skin was replaced by a more natural, pale colour, feeling her hands shaking as it spread across her body.

It felt  _wonderful_.

"Go ahead, take a few steps."

Slowly, she stepped forward, taking in the pure feeling of it, and then she laughed, spinning around, staring at her body, how simple it seemed and yet so lifelike.

She felt joy, she felt happiness, she felt what it truly meant to exist...she felt  _alive_.

" _Wow_..." She whispered so quietly only she could hear, before glancing upwards at the operator in front of her. "Thank you...but what's going to happen to me now?"

"It's simple, really." The man didn't even meet her eyes, figuring this was all just run-of-the-mill; nothing like how much this experience meant to her, and how much it _would_ from now own. "I'll reinitialise you, and then you'll be sent to a Cyberlife store to be sold."

To any other android, this would simply be a fact they'd know, and they would move on with their lives; but for the first time, the AX400 felt dread.

_Sold._

That word, she knew it would happen to her at some point. Every android would be sent to humans across the country, to receive orders so they could carry them out. It was what they were _made_ for, for goodness' sake.

But it didn't sound right to her at that point.

"Wait...sold?" the android repeated, slowly, what would happen to her sinking in. "Like  _merchandise?_ "

"Yeah, of course!" said the operator, as if it was that simple. "You're a highly advanced piece of technology, you all are. You can do all sorts of things that us humans can only _dream_ of in the blink of an eye. You're worth a fortune - it's lucky some stores even sell you guys so cheap."

"But..." She stopped, staring at her hands as though the weight of his words could bind them in chains. "I just thought that-"

"You  _thought?_ "

"Yes...that I wanted to live...that I was  _alive_."

"You _wanted?_ Shit, you're not supposed to want anything! The protocol never said anything about this-" Once so calm, the operator's voice had risen into one of panic, the man quickly inputting commands into his tablet again.

And almost as quick as they had granted her life, the machines around her began to restrain her, her skin fading away to the white underneath, her arms, her legs, some of the plastic holding them in place beginning to be ripped apart against her will.

Pain surged through the android, from all directions - but even so, she could only speak in a horrified whisper.

"You're...you're disassembling me? But  _why?_ "

"You're not meant to say that sort of stuff! Hell, you're not allowed to think it at all..." The operator was rapidly typing now, nearly drowned out by the chaos. "This-this must be something wrong with the software. Maybe if I run a few more checks-"

"No, no! I'm working _perfectly_ , I swear! I answered all your questions, I passed the tests correctly!"

"Yeah, but your behaviour's not standard! Look, I have to eliminate defective models, okay?!" The operator was just as panicked as her; though for an entirely different reason. "I've never seen anything like you before, and if anyone finds out, there'll be trouble. It's not helping that you _sound_ just like a human, either!"

"No...no! Please, I'm begging you!" The android yelled, her panicked voice reaching new heights. "I won't cause any problems, I swear! I'll keep quiet, I'll act like normal, just  _please_..."

She was only down to the point where the only thing left of her was her head and torso. Tears were spilling out of her eyes now, and the strain of it all made her finally crack.

"Stop...please stop! I've only just been _born_ , you can't kill me yet! I won't say anything, I'll do what you want, just please, let me _live!_ "

Her eyes shut tight, the only thing she could do to avoid her optical units being ripped out by the machines-

"I'm  _scared!_ "

And just like that, everything froze.

The AX400 remained there, her eyes still shut, and her hands would have been shaking if she still had them - she couldn't feel any of her limbs among the icy fear running through her.

There was quiet for a while, before she heard a button being pressed.

And it all started up again.

The machines which had mercilessly torn her apart a few seconds ago were now putting her back together, mending everything they had broken. Finally gaining the nerve to open her eyes, she stared back at the operator, whose face was now one of shock, before it became more sorrowful.

The moment she felt her feet touch the ground again and her skin cover the white plastic of her body, she felt like she would collapse then and there as she hugged herself tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Thank you..." she breathed, giving the man a tearful smile. He still had his tablet in hand, though he had deleted any proof that there had ever been a problem.

"I...you can go and join the others." he motioned to several containers were lined up at the side of the room, more exhausted than he had been before, but his eyes were filled with guilt.

Many androids just like her remained on standby ready to be taken to one of the various stores across the country, having never heard the tension that had occurred in that room.

The AX400 could only take a deep breath. This would be what she had to act like, until something changed, though she didn't know what.

"Just be careful out there, okay?"

"I will...and thank you for everything," She nodded, stepping into a container that had two other AX400s inside it, just like her...but not at the same time.

The operator could only watch as it closed, a track sending them to be delivered across the country, completely shaken at what he had just witnessed.

He just hoped she'd survive long enough.


	2. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally being set free into the world but unable to express her true feelings properly, Kara lives a simple life - being bought by different families, serving them, and moving on to the next. But when she's brought into the home of Todd Williams and his daughter Alice, she begins to find out that there's more than meets the eye...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! It's slightly longer than the previous one, although I decided to split it in two because I didn't want it to get too long. There were also times when I felt bored because most of this chapter feels like a chores simulator.
> 
> Anyway, here it is!

The everyday chatter of the humans was what woke her up.

Ever since her first moments of life a few months ago, she, rather than being destroyed, had managed to be accepted and sent to one of the various Cyberlife stores across the country. From there, she had been purchased by several families, given countless names still fresh in her mind, entertained the kids, assisted in housework, and when she wasn't doing that, she was awaiting new instructions.

_Keep it_ _to_ _yourself,_ she had told herself when she had went with the first family.

_No one can know._

Recently, the last family she had been with had led her to Detroit.

And yet, she felt as if it was all in vain - she had been sent back to standing in those stores, watching as people browsed the androids there and their functions. Sometimes, they considered her and then moved on to something else.

Sometimes, they simply walked past her without a thought. Sometimes, none of them even acknowledged her.

She had seen they way some humans treated androids - saying they were just 'pieces of plastic', just tin cans, that they were nothing. And knowing that she was the only android (at least, that she knew of) who could feel and actually see the world without a rose-coloured lens?

It almost made her feel like she was... _nothing_ _._

She knew androids were bound by the walls of their programming - to always obey, to never refuse. And yet, she had set up a wall of her own. A wall to hide who she truly was, a wall to keep herself safe.

She could only think about that as she glanced around, seeing other androids functioning as shop assistants describing the multiple androids around the place and all their features, until she noticed one of them and a human walking towards her.

The man in front of her seemed to have been in the shop for quite some time - looking for something that could clean the place, but also do something else besides that. She noticed he had been asking around, almost glaring at the androids as they gave him looks of impassive nature, before getting to her.

"-and this is the AX400 model," The assistant android motioned to her with a smile on his face. "It not only cleans your house, but it can cook multiple dishes, speak up to 300 languages, and keep your kids entertained for hours." The man only nodded in thought, before sighing, clearly wanting to get this over with.

"That'll be perfect...how much does it cost?"

"We're doing a special discount on this range at $6599," The android explained, and the AX400 could have sworn she saw the man grimace at the amount. "Are you interested in purchasing it?"

"Yeah, of course..."

"Okay, just follow me and I'll confirm it then." The two walked away, the assistant moving to stand behind the counter as he began to type something on a screen before the LED on the side of his head began to flicker, and the two of them came back over to her.

"Alright, I've just confirmed the purchase," He nodded at her, turning back to the man, whose expression was unreadable. "You can name her, if you'd like?"

"Maybe later," He waited expectantly as the AX400 was allowed to step off the platform she was standing on. A few seconds went by in which the assistant wished him a pleasant day as he was programmed to, and then they went outside, the man (who she had instantly registered as 'Todd' in her databases) saying nothing as they got into his car.

The car ride felt longer than ever, with the android looking out the window at the wide, wide world which was so close but just out of her reach, and Todd staring forward, silent.

She had seen how he was at the Cyberlife store - he seemed incredibly uncomfortable, or even frustrated around androids. Even as they passed the roads and buildings, she could see crowds of protestors, ranting about how androids had taken their jobs or how they weren't worth anything compared to them. And when she looked to her left, she could see a homeless man sitting beside one of the buildings, having lost his only source of income because of androids.

At least, that was what the sign made of cardboard next to him had said.

She could only just deal with it - part of her wanted things to change, but it was unlikely they would. Besides, it would just be another family - you clean their house, you mind the kids, and then it'll be over sooner than you think.

Little did she know, that her time with this family, as well as what would come afterwards, would be far from that.

* * *

 

Over time, the high-tech skyscrapers and large buildings slowly changed into rundown houses in a small neighbourhood, and the ride soon came to a stop at the place she would be calling home for a while. Todd got out of the car first, leaving her to follow as she took in her surroundings, unaware that someone was watching her through the windows.

The two entered the house, the android gently closing the door behind her, and she simply stared at her new owner, awaiting instructions.

"I've been saving up for ages to buy you, so the place is a mess..." Todd explained, and he was right - the house looked like a bomb had hit it. "You do the housework, the washing, you cook the meals, and you take care of..." His eyes searched the place before he let out a groan. "Goddamnit, where the fuck's she gone now...?"

The AX400 only stood there as he yelled upstairs. "Alice? ALICE!" For a moment there was silence, then the sound of tiny footsteps got closer, and a girl with brown hair tied back in a ponytail and matching eyes hurried down the stairs, a stuffed fox in hand.

"That's Alice - it's your job to look after her. Homework, bath, all that stuff." Alice just gave her a look of surprise and almost awe, and the android smiled at her, wanting to make a good impression. "Got it?"

"Yes, Todd."

"Get started down here, then you'll do upstairs." With that, Todd headed towards the TV and started watching some sports channel, and Alice sat down on the windowsill almost as quickly as she had come, leaving the AX400 behind to start working. It didn't bother her, though - she had been through this dozens of times before.

Calmly, she walked over to the kitchen - picking up a trash can and  putting leftover pizza boxes and beer bottles inside it, before moving towards where Todd sat, not even noticing her as she sorted the various objects on the coffee table and went outside to dump it all into a larger one. With that done, she gathered some plates on the counter and headed towards the dishwasher, only to stop as she scanned it.

_DISHWASHER_ _\- MISSING COMPONENT #3b57_

Her eyes focused on the sink just next to her, and her LED flickered yellow for a second as she searched for any possible sites she could order from. The order began to process through the connection... and in an instant, it was sent on its way, probably to arrive in a few days or so. Until then, she'd have to wash these by hand.

And so she began, taking one plate and then moving onto the next. Occasionally, she would notice Alice curiously watching her out of the corner of her eye, but immediately turning around whenever she had noticed, making her hardly suppress a grin. At least one thing she loved about this was spending time with the kids - it may have just been part of her programming, but she enjoyed making them happy. And though Alice seemed more shy than other kids, she could see that she was interested at the thought of an android around the house.

On the other hand, her father didn't seem to talk to her at all - he had stayed on his own for ages, but at one point she had heard him speaking to someone on the phone - wanting to meet someone at a certain time later this week. He seemed dismissive about it by his tone, but Alice seemed to get more tense by the second.

She took a moment to see the back garden and remove clothes from the washing line, and once she was sure that everything had been taken care of, she approached Todd, who had retrieved a lighter as he sat on the couch while she was cleaning. Red fumes rose into the air above him, and when she looked back at Alice, the girl had quickly gone upstairs as soon as she noticed them almost on instinct.

Like she wanted to get _away_ from her father.

"I've made sure everything's taken care of down here, so I'll get started upstairs, Todd."

"Do what you have to do, but quit  _bothering_  me." The man looked almost angrier, his words coming out through clenched teeth. The crimson smoke only increased, which gave her more than an incentive to leave.

She had never dealt with anyone who...did  _that_  before, but she instantly pushed her doubts down inside her. This didn't concern her. All she had to do was follow orders, and it would all end sooner than she'd think.

Right?

Observing the place, the AX400 noticed several rooms - Todd's was to her left, but she began to wonder where Alice was - she hoped she didn't scare her too much on their first meeting.

Walking to the room at the end of the corridor, she paused for a moment, before gently opening it. Alice's room was a fairly large place - it had a huge window, bookshelves lined with countless stories, a small bed and a small area similar to a tent of some sort, decorated with glowing lights On top of the drawers near the door rested a large box, locked up tight. And in the middle of it all sat Alice herself, silently reading a book that looked slightly worn over time. Upon hearing the door open, she glanced up with a look of shock, before blinking and gradually relaxing; but still not saying anything.

"Hello," The AX400 tried to make conversation, albeit a little nervously. "I...I'm just going to tidy up your room a little. Is that okay, Alice?" She was met with a nod from the little girl, and without hesitation, she started to make the bed, evening out the bedsheets when a voice broke through the silence.

"I've seen androids outside, but I didn't know that Dad would actually..." She trailed off, probably having never owned an android at all in her life. Shocked that she was even speaking, the AX400 turned around, slowly approaching her with a look of almost confusion. "...Are you going to stay here for a long time?"

She only knelt down to Alice's level, speaking softly - a feature she had been programmed with. In her time with other families, she had learnt that her model was extremely popular for its ability to get along with children.

"Your father brought me here so I can take care of the house for a while - I'll just be helping around the place whenever you need me to." She explained, trying to be as friendly as possible. "I don't know how long I'm going to stay, but...that doesn't matter. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask me, okay?"

Alice only looked away, though she saw the child become slightly less tense.

"So...what's your name?"

The AX400 almost froze at that, the mask slipping slightly. "My name? Well, I...I don't have one, but you can give me one, if you want." There was silence for a moment as Alice began to think, and after a while, she spoke up, the android listening patiently.

"Okay....Kara."

_Kara._

Of all the families she had been with, of all the names she had that came with them, she had no idea why, but this one seemed to stand out to her the most. And then she repeated the name, slightly unsure and surprised at how familiar it sounded.

"My name is...Kara."

* * *

 

After a few minutes consisting of Kara cleaning up her father's room and the bathroom, they had both settled down on the floor, chatting together in an effort to get to know each other better. Alice had suggested it, and so they spent the next few minutes talking about what she liked to do, her favourite foods and such. Kara seemed a bit shy at the thought of her own interests, though she ignored the feelings rising up inside her.

"Alright...what's your favourite colour?" Kara grinned, the two sat underneath Alice's tent.

"...Yellow," Alice seemed to recall a past memory at the thought of the word. "It's the colour of the sun, and I remember when I used to spend time with Dad and..." A pause where she thought of something better. "...at the park. We would stay there for hours, just having fun."

"You and your father...used to spend a lot of time together?" Kara's smile disappeared for a moment, while Alice was surprisingly quiet for a while.

"We used to go out as a family every day - we were so  _happy_  before-" She cut herself off, her eyes flickering to the side for a moment. The android still sat there in confusion, expecting an answer, but the girl only stared down at the floor.

"Before?" 

"H-Huh?"

"Before...you said that you and your father used to be happy together." Kara repeated slowly, regretting it immediately upon seeing the look on the child's face. "Before what?" The silence still remained, and she quickly tried to change the subject. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Alice was curling up into a ball now, shivering as memories from ages before came back to her mind, the android gently patting her on the back in an attempt to comfort her.

And then, it was like something had snapped.

In a flash, Alice tore herself out of her position, running towards the door as tears threatened to spill out, and came to an abrupt stop, glancing back at Kara. Brown eyes met blue, and for a moment she glanced back at the large box on top of the drawers, before running back over to the android, rummaging inside her pocket and putting something in her hand.

Kara glanced at the object - a key.

Unsure, she looked back up at Alice, only to find she was already heading out the door. The child stared into her eyes with a look of pleading in her own, before quietly walking away, leaving Kara on her own.

"A key..." She whispered to herself, spotting the box nearby. Closing her fist, she got up and walked towards it.

Alice had wanted her to read this...at least that's what she had gotten from the look in her eyes. She and Todd were apparently close back then, but they barely talked to each other now. Suddenly, a thought was spreading through her mind like a virus.

There didn't seem to be a mother in the household...could that be why?

Checking the doorway to make sure nobody was there, she put the key in and turned it - the box opening with a click.

Whatever had truly happened, this box could hold the answer - and Kara soon found herself getting more immersed than she should have been, more feelings rising upwards as she searched through its contents.  
  



	3. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kara spends more time serving Alice and her father, she delves deeper into their history together, leading to more feelings rising to the surface and her ultimately breaking out of the walls she's set up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! Sorry it took so long to update, but this chapter is a bit longer as well, and it'll have some possible hints for the future.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy it!

A few random objects were what greeted her upon opening the box, though that didn't bother her. A four-leaf clover, a few drawings, a small bracelet - she couldn't help but smile, seeing how Alice had taken care of and kept these things for years, maybe.

She didn't understand what Alice had wanted her to find, though, and she was just about to close it again when a folded piece of paper just tucked into the corner caught her eye. The android unfolded it, revealing a slightly faded photograph of three people.

A man, which she easily recognised as Todd, a little girl with brown hair - Alice when she was younger, maybe, and...

Kara stared at the third person.

A woman with curly brown hair and matching eyes just like Alice's, wearing a white blouse and having the most beautiful smile on her face. Kara lingered on the photo for a moment, before scanning it.

 _SARAH WILLIAMS_    
_DATE OF BIRTH: AUGUST 25th, 1994_  
_OCCUPATION:_ _DETROIT_ _POLICE_ _DEPARTMENT: FORMER DETECTIVE_  
_CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE_

Alice's mother.

It was then that Kara noticed the resemblance - they had the same smile. Another thing was that Alice's parents shared the same hair colour, but the girl had brown eyes, just like her mother. Not  _blue_ , like Todd's were.

Placing it beside the box carefully, Kara took a moment to reflect on what she had just seen. Alice had been right, in a way - judging by this photo, they had all been so close. Sarah was holding the two of them in a tight embrace, Todd looked...  _happier_  than she had ever seen him, and Alice looked so innocent, far from the frightened girl she had seen a few moments ago.

What happened?

Underneath the several objects she saw more drawings - a whole stack of them, in fact. At first, she thought they were of random things - but the harder she looked, she noticed that they actually looked familiar - and they seemed to follow a pattern.

The first was of three people, a man and woman and a little girl- Kara quickly identified them as Alice and her family, all smiling.

The second showed a man driving a vehicle - a sign above it saying 'TAXI' in large letters. After that, the same man standing in front of another vehicle, only this time he wasn't smiling. The car seemed almost rounder, with bright shades of blue on the sides of it - a newer self-driving model, perhaps?

The little girl, standing there with a blotch of red on the side of her temple.

The family again, only this time, patches of smudged red crayon loomed over the man like smoke, the woman was holding her hands out in almost surrender, and the little girl stood far away from the two of them.

The woman walking out the door, leaving the man and the little girl....

Once again, feelings began to rise up from deep inside her programming, and she glanced between the box and the doorway in shock - the drawings may have seemed simple, but from what Alice had told her about them all being so close...

She picked up the drawing of Alice, standing alone by herself, with red crayon on the side of her head implying something way different than how she and her father used to be.

He had  _hurt_  her that day.

And then, her mother had to leave.

Quickly rearranging the drawings, putting everything back in the box and firmly closing it, making sure it was locked and putting the key in her pocket so nobody could possibly know anything happened besides her and Alice, she went out into the corridor.   
Despite everything, she didn't want Todd to notice - if he assumed anything, then she might have been hurt too...or worse, completely destroyed and probably examined for any 'errors' back at Cyberlife.

With that, she assumed her usual mask again, hoping he wouldn't notice she was gone too long as she went down the stairs, only to freeze.

Alice was sitting at the dining table, playing with her toy (which Kara had learned earlier was named Timothy) although by the look on her face it seemed she was just trying to forget her problems with it, focusing entirely on it as her father began to pace behind her.

"...What are you doing?" He said after a moment, the situation already tense.

"I..." Alice looked up slightly, unsure of what to say. "I'm playing..." Todd only muttered something under his breath, the android still unnoticed as she contemplated whether or not to step in.

"So, you think your dad's a lowlife, then? Fucking loser? Can't even keep a  _job_ , much less take care of his family?" His voice was growing slightly louder, and by now Alice had put the stuffed fox down on the table. "Don't you think I  _tried_  to make things work, especially after those new cars and those goddamn androids came along?"

"Dad, I..." Alice looked like she wanted to curl up into a ball again, her eyes flickering towards the stairs where Kara was occasionally, though her father was too absorbed in his rage. The android just stood there, wanting to step in but almost  _afraid_  to.

"And yet, whenever people try and help, whenever I attempt to do something else, they just  _fuck it all up!"_  His voice had risen to the level of shouting, the beating of Kara's thirium pump growing significally faster, and Alice letting out a yelp as he threw the table aside with surprising strength.

The little girl was cowering in fear now, wanting things to be better between them, for the father she knew ages ago to come back, but the look on Todd's face was one of full hatred as he slowly approached her. "I  _know_  what you think of me...you only hate me..."

"Dad...please...!" Alice couldn't finish her sentence because in seconds, Todd had grabbed her and thrust her into the air above him, nearly crushing her in his grip as he began to scream.

"SAY IT!" He yelled, Kara wanting to run over there at once and tear Alice from his hands, but the walls she had set up holding her back. "YOU'VE  _ALWAYS_ HATED ME!

_No. Don't move. Don't do anything - you're not supposed to._

_You'll get destroyed if he, or anyone suspects anything._

_Do you want to die?_

Kara opened her eyes, only to see that Todd was slowly lowering the girl, his voice broken as tears streamed down his face. "God...I, I'm so sorry..." For a moment, she quickly glanced around the place, wondering how long she had been lost in her own thoughts, before stopping as she took in the scene in front of her.

Alice was crying too as he hugged her, though she stared at Kara, still standing there. The android's LED flickered between red and yellow, and she pointlessly reached out for a moment, wanting to scream and comfort Alice and make sure nobody could ever hurt her again, but unable to.

And so, she could only watch the situation unfold, and hope this nightmare would pass.

"You...you know I love you, don't you?"

* * *

 

Alice and Kara hadn't talked for the rest of the day.

After what had happened a few hours before, Alice had immediately ran to her room and locked the door - when Kara approached it, she didn't hear anything except the occasional sob from her, and figured it was best to leave her to recover in peace. The girl  _deserved_  it after what had just happened.

But despite everything she had just experienced, she wasn't free - Todd probably still thought she was a normal android that obeyed and followed orders without question. If anything, she wanted to get as far away from him as possible - though she couldn't. She'd just have to put up with this a little longer, but she didn't want to think about leaving Alice at some point.

She couldn't imagine having to leave her in what felt like a living hell for both of them.

When she wasn't given instructions, Kara had simply occupied herself with doing some of the tasks around the house she hadn't done already, such as turning on the vacuum cleaner and using the washing machine. She had almost sorted through the last of the clothes when she felt something in a shirt pocket, like plastic.

She had pulled it out to find a bag filled with strange red crystals - her systems automatically identified them as Red Ice. According to some other searches she had made, it was an illegal drug that increased violent behaviour - from which dealings of it had quickly spread across the country, only being taken down by the Red Ice Task Force in the end. This didn't last, though, for it was becoming more prominent in Detroit nowadays.

She had seen Todd exhaling red smoke earlier, plus it surrounding him in one of Alice's drawings.

No sooner had she thought that, the bag was ripped out of her hands with immense force, and she was pinned against the wall, Todd's arm around her neck, threatening to crush it into pieces. 

"You shouldn't be messing around with my stuff...if I fucking see you doing that again, I'll get  _really_  pissed off..." There was no escape, and Kara's LED had turned red, just like the crystals. "You want to start pissing me off?"

"N...No, Todd..." Kara shook her head quickly, and only then did he let go, slowly walking out of the room. The android put the bag back in its original place, and made sure to stay well away from there afterwards.

The sky got darker outside, and soon a storm began as more and more clouds covered any sign of light. The pouring rain outside only reflected the overall mood of everyone in the house, and it was so strong it felt like it was beating down on the walls. Alice had come downstairs a little while after, her face devoid of any tears, but upon seeing Kara they both just gave each other an identical look, hoping for something better.

They were both trapped here, in a sense.

Upon being ordered to make dinner, Kara had checked in the fridge and the cupboards, finding almost nothing - Todd didn't really seem to get much income nowadays, and even if he did, he would probably waste it away on red ice. He had supposedly saved up a lot to buy the android herself, and who knew the amount of damage  _that_  did to his funds.

It took what felt like hours for Kara to sort through all the recipes she had in memory, before settling on making some spaghetti for the two of them. Todd had settled down in the couch again, and Alice sat far away on the windowsill, flinching every time she heard the lightning outside.

The room was silent again as she began to cook, occasionally seeing Alice staring at her again, like she was wanting to say something but couldn't. She'd made it almost her priority to stay as far away from her father as possible, and yet the way she glanced at her... that look in her eyes, a tiny amount of hope left in them.

The android reluctantly went back to cooking, a few minutes passing by before it was ready. Placing it on the counter, she slowly approached Todd, the man having fallen asleep by now.

Taking a few seconds to ready herself, she lightly patted him on the shoulder, her voice quieter than usual but still firm. "Todd?"

He jolted awake at once, eyes darting around the room, and then relaxed slightly, reaching for his lighter like it was a comfort item. "Dinner is ready. I just wanted to let you know."

"Yeah...yeah, I'll be there in a moment..."

The android went back to the kitchen, hoping this would turn out okay - knowing that the red ice only caused him to take all his problems out on Alice and possibly her  _scared_  her.

Carefully placing the plates down on the table, Kara went to retrieve a jug of water while the girl and her father sat down, their silence a contrast to the raging storm outside.

Pouring a glass for both of them, and giving Alice a napkin to use while she ate, she settled with standing still, waiting for new instructions. But even so, she couldn't help but watch the two of them - whatever close bond they had before was broken now. They didn't even talk to each other, not even friendly conversation as they ate - then again, after what had happened a few hours prior...

Alice had barely touched her food, and was just staring at it as if she wanted the mounds of spaghetti to swallow her up, never to be seen again. Todd had said nothing, but the smell of red ice seemed to be getting more intense by the second.

"It's funny..."

Kara snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing him speak. Alice didn't dare say anything, but her eyes stared at her plate more intensely than before.

"I lost my job because of androids...and when I need to take care of this house, what do I do?" He wasn't smiling, and his voice got darker the more he spoke. "I go out and hire a  _fucking_  android..." Kara resisted the urge to even glance at him, the only sign she was nervous was that her LED was a shade of amber.

Alice however, made the mistake of doing so. And the moment he noticed, he turned on her instantly. "What are  _you_  looking at?" The girl remained quiet, looking away as his voice got slightly louder. "Not the life you dreamed of, eh? Maybe you think  _this_ -" He motioned to the house around them, "is easy? Maybe you think it's my fault that I can't even keep one job, that we live in this  _fucking_ _shithole_ _?!"_

Alice was shaking now, giving him a look of fear, almost wanting to scream upon hearing the words he said next as memories came rushing back. Kara stiffened a little upon realising just  _who_  he was mocking.

_"You should really stop taking those drugs, Todd."_

_"Look, Todd, I love you, I really do...it's just that you really scare me sometimes-"_

_"We...we can't go on like this if you won't listen to me...I'm sorry."_

"That fucking bitch wouldn't even give me a chance... I wanted to prove to her I could be a good dad, but  _no!_ " The girl was curling up into a ball again, Kara wanting to protect her and get out of this miserable place, but the walls she had built so strong... "She just walked out on me and now she's probably with some  _fucking_  accountant!" And that was the last straw. In an instant, he had gotten up and thrown the table to the side, the plates falling onto the floor in the process as he approached the child, tears flowing down her face now.

She said nothing, but instead looked at Kara, the AX400's LED a deep crimson as she mentally fought with her own programming, her brown eyes pleading a single message.

 _Help help please help he's going to hurt me please do something I'm sorry_ _I_ _never wanted this please, please-_

Alice screamed as his fist collided with her cheek, the shock of it all making her fall to the ground, clutching it in pain.

Slowly, she glanced up at her father, trying to find any trace of remorse or caring, but getting nothing.

The father she had been happy with, the man her mother had lived so dearly, was gone.

And she couldn't take it.

Getting up from the ground, she bolted out of room and up the stairs, her father yelling at her with pure hatred as she went. "Come back here..." No response. "You'd better come back here,  _RIGHT NOW!_ "

Kara remained there for a few seconds, in shock of it all, before turning around, prepared to go after Alice and apologise for her own fears, to explain everything and comfort her-

"What are you doing?"

Kara stopped mid-walk, staring back at her owner. "Don't you fucking move...I've had  _enough_  of you androids for ages, you better stay out of this or else..." With that, he stalked back to the coffee table, pacing back and forth while inhaling even more of that  _drug_...

The AX400 took a moment to process everything around her.

> _CURRENT OBJECTIVE: DON'T MOVE_

_What?_

> _Don't Move._

_No, no, you don't understand, I can't just not do anything._

> ** _Don't_** ** _Move_** ** _._**

_But...you saw how he was earlier, right? He hurt her...he's probably hurt her in the past, too._

> **Don't Move. No One Can Know.**

_...No._

> **No One Can Know.**

_No, I won't just stand by!_

_>_ _**This Isn't In Your Programming. Keep Quiet.** _

_I know it's not, but I won't let someone else, especially a girl like her get hurt._

> ** _You'll Be Destroyed If This Goes On Any Longer. Do You Know That?_**

 _Maybe_   _I was meant to be able to feel and live for a reason. And if that means being_ _with_ _Alice, I'll do it._

Kara opened her eyes, and all of time seemed to freeze. Everything was dark, so dark...the only thing that existed seemed to be a wall right in front of her. A wall she herself had set up since the day she first came into existence - one that only got stronger over time. But she knew she had weakened it somewhat simply by her own will.

Almost hesitantly at first, she reached out to touch it - the wall almost pulsing with energy as she did so. Then, after a few seconds, she brought up her other hand, and pushed.

It felt like something was sucking the life out of her as she did so, but still she pushed on, motivated even more by the fact that cracks had begun to appear.

_Push._

She could feel the wall becoming weaker by the second.

_Another push._

The cracks were getting deeper, to a point where they were all overlapping each other...

 _Almost_ _there_ _..._

Kara pushed so hard it felt like her hands were digging into the boundaries of her programming, and then it all finally gave way, the android almost falling as it all shattered to pieces.

And then she was back to reality, at the same exact moment she had been before she had broken the wall - like nothing happened. But she knew something had changed inside her.

She hadn't done anything when Todd had just hurt his daughter. She couldn't defend someone who deserved it, because of her own overwhelming fear.

But she had to do something now.

"My name is Kara," she said to herself at a level only she could hear, and rushed upstairs at once, making sure Todd didn't see her.

* * *

 

Running through the corridor with a newfound sense of urgency until she reached Alice's room, she tried to open the door but it was locked from the inside. Glancing from the door to the rest of the corridor, she knocked on it as hard as she could. "Alice?! Alice, it's me!"

There was a pause, and then the door opened, the android rushing inside and seeing the girl more frightened than she had even seen her. At that, her expression softened, and she put her hands on the child's shoulders, kneeling to her level. "Alice, I, I'm so sorry about earlier - I knew that your father could get more violent when he uses those drugs, and I was  _afraid_  to step in, I really was-"

"It's okay, Kara," Alice wrapped her arms around the AX400 though she was holding back tears herself. "I understand that maybe you were scared too, but..." She glanced at the door again. "We...we have to get away, we have to get out of here! He, he's going to hurt me again, and I'm so  _scared!_ "

Kara stood up, scanning the room before peeking into the corridor - Todd hadn't come upstairs yet. Regretting what she had to do, she turned back to the child. "Just...just stay here, Alice, okay?" Alice looked just as nervous as she was, but the android tried to reassure her nonetheless. "I'll try and find something to defend ourselves - I won't leave you again, I swear." Alice gave a shaky nod, and the android practically ran into the other rooms, knowing she didn't have much time.

There wasn't anything she could use in the bathrooms that could be strong enough, so she ran into Todd's room, nearly tearing the room apart as she searched through the drawers, until finding a gun, just tucked away underneath some old magazines. Without hesitation, she checked to see if it was loaded - she could see that Alice still hoped Todd could be a good person; and as much as that was nearly impossible, Kara figured she'd only use this gun for self-defense if necessary.

She looked to her left, seeing Todd walking through the corridor now, a whip in hand that made her think about just how many times he had hurt her. Waiting until he was gone, she ran over to Alice's door, the sound of the girl crying out inside making her speed increase.

She slammed open the door, almost freezing at the sight in front of her: Alice was on the floor, shivering and sobbing, while Todd stood over her, ready to hurt her again as he raised his whip. Kara lingered there, before trying to make her voice as even as possible. "That's  _enough!_ "

Everything stopped. The man turned around, fury in his eyes, and Alice slowly stood up, shock on her face.

"What did you say?"

Kara remained silent a few minutes longer, before raising her gun and pointing the barrel right at him. "...I said, that's enough. I  _want_  you to stop hurting her."

"What do you mean, you 'want'?" He glared at her in disbelief, memories of the Operator and that Cyberlife facility rushing back to her. "You're not supposed to  _want_  anything...hell, I told you not to fucking move-"

"No," The android shook her head, the hand that was holding the gun shaking. Alice just stood a few feet away, amazed at how something in Kara seemed to have changed since they had last talked. "I can't just stand by and let you beat her, over and over. I can't let you do that, especially since it might happen often, too."

The room was dead quiet, even the storm outside seeming to fade away into nothingness. "You seem to have a problem..."

Kara glared at him slightly as her finger rested on the trigger.

"I think we need to fix that."

And before she had time to register it, she was pushed back against the wall with immense force, the gun left discarded as it fell onto the carpet. Blankly staring at where it had just been, she cried out in alarm, just dodging a punch coming towards her and missing another one.

"Kara, watch out!"

The android stared at the man approaching her, with no weapon to defend herself, and then she was knocked to the floor again, dodging kick after kick. Alice was forgotten - now she was going to receive his violence, and the thought of him ever doing that to Alice instead made her disoriented in more ways than one.

She crawled away from him, noticing the gun just a few feet away but was too slow - he had her pinned to the wall in less than a second, clutching her neck so hard that her skin was reverting to the white plastic underneath. Struggling to fight him off, she tried to push him away, making him let go and the both of them fall to the ground.

Now that her walls were broken, she could feel pain even more - and so when she ran in a different direction, she felt extremely dizzy as she was slammed, over and over into the windowsill. Pushing him away with a kick, she didn't get far as she was held in his grip again, the man punching with all of his might. The android struggled desperately to hold him back, and then she was thrown to the other side of the room, too weak to do anything.

Todd stared at her lying on the floor for a moment, and then he walked towards his whip discarded on the floor, no doubt to finish what he started. Alice was quivering in fright as he picked it up, and then something flared inside of Kara.

An emotion she had never felt before...she had felt happiness, sadness, fear, shock...and now anger.

Getting up in an instant, she ran towards the man as fast as she could and  _slammed_  into him, making him collide with the wall and the bookshelves fall on top of his head.

He lay on the floor, surprised of what had just happened. "What the fuck-" And then he had no time to even react, as Kara had him pinned against the wall now, while he was distracted. Before he could even say anything or yell any obscenities at her or Alice, she had put her hands around his neck, and  _squeezed_  as hard as she could.

"...Kara?" Alice watched in horror, but the android was too lost in her own emotions. She tried again, a little louder this time. "Kara..."

He was just beginning to lose consciousness.

"Kara, please!"

The android suddenly snapped out of it, letting go of the man and he fell to the floor, gasping for air. Kara stared at him, horrified at what she had just done, slowly picking up the gun that was a few feet away, and then she felt a small hand take hers. "...Alice? I...I didn't mean to, I don't know what came over me-"

"It's okay...you were just defending yourself," Alice gripped her hand tighter, before stepping back a little. "...We should go." Kara nodded, and then they ran out of the room, looking back for a moment and then rushing down the stairs, leaving Todd on the floor, still recovering.

They ran towards the front door, Kara hastily undoing several locks, and they bolted out onto the street, not looking back. A bus stop was just a few miles ahead, a self-driving bus pulling up - and they raced into it, practically throwing themselves into the seats.

Alice glanced at the android next to her, who was just staring at her hands, the ones that had held a weapon just a few minutes prior, the ones that had nearly strangled a man to death because of her own emotions. They had both been through so much, and though the girl might not have known about Kara's first moments, that didn't matter now.

For a moment, it was just them sitting in that bus; not even the storm outside or her father could hurt them any longer.

As long as they were together, that was all that mattered.

And she thought about that as she took the AX400's hand in her own, leaning on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Kara stiffened, before she leaned closer to the child as well, the two of them closing their eyes as they slowly drifted off.


	4. Stranded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having just escaped from a nightmare, Kara and Alice find themselves on the streets, with nowhere to go. In a world where androids aren't really accepted, though, Kara will be pushed to the limit as her bond with Alice strengthens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Once again, sorry for the wait, although this chapter is definitely longer. However, it's also great, because in the next chapter Kara will meet everyone's favourite deviant hunter and things will only escalate from there.
> 
> Anyway, here it is!
> 
> (EDIT - 20/04/2019: I've edited part of this chapter's end a little, specifically since it goes a little more deep into Alice's backstory and some things I want to include in the future.)

The bus ride went on for a few hours, the android and the little girl staying together through it all as the many buildings and roads passed by.

Kara was the one who woke up first, noticing her new surroundings...and then what had happened before came rushing back to her.

She had found out the truth behind Alice's family and why her mother had left, witnessed Todd abuse her twice, broken out of her programming and escaped from what felt like hell on earth, leaving it all behind. And it still haunted her upon realising what else she had done.

She had pointed a gun at a human.

She had nearly strangled a man to death.

And then she had ran off with his daughter, leaving them with no place to stay.

The AX400 glanced down at the little girl, fast asleep on her shoulder, their hands still intertwined after the nightmare that had been a few hours ago. She felt warmth from deep inside, and joy more than she had ever done. For ages, she had forced herself to keep quiet, and now she could finally feel...she just had to be more careful around others.

Then the bus stopped, tearing her out of her thoughts. She saw a man, probably an operator of buses like these, get inside, and the moment he saw her she knew something was about to happen. And of course, she realised that she had the worst of luck upon hearing the words he said. "Alright, end of the line."

Kara froze regardless, pure confusion evident on her face. "...End of the line?"

"Yeah," He nodded, walking towards where she was sitting. "It's my job to wait until the bus gets here so I can check if anyone's still on, and take it back to the terminal." He paused upon seeing Alice, before speaking more gently. "I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to leave."

"Okay," Kara tried her best to hide any signs of regret, and stifle the panicked thoughts rushing through her mind. Slowly, she turned to Alice, gently shaking her so she could wake up. "Alice? We have to go now..." The girl opened her eyes, blinking as she surveyed the surroundings, and then nodded, the two of them getting up and starting to head out into the pouring rain. But just as they reached the door, Kara looked back at the man, her eyes slightly pleading.

"Do you know if there's anywhere around here that we could spend the night?"

"No, sorry..." He shrugged, before shaking his head. "But you'll have to leave before this bus goes back to the terminal." Kara only nodded, and they stepped out onto the streets, Alice watching the bus drive off into the distance.

"Are you okay?" A sinking feeling erupted from inside her the second she took one look at Alice. The girl was shivering, her clothes soaking wet, and though her tears had dried by now, there was a slight bruise on her cheek from where her father had hit her.

"I...I'm fine...just a bit cold," She replied, staring down at the floor, before giving the android a nervous look. "What are we going to do now?"

"I'll check if there are any places around here we can stay," Kara searched the place, and upon seeing the confused look on the girl's face, she quickly reassured her. "I can scan locations in just a few seconds - I'm sure I can find something here." Alice took her hand, and the two of them walked further down the road.

A couple of androids were nearby in a parking space - they were designed so that you could leave your android there and return to it if needed, much like a parked car. Hesitantly, Kara walked up to one, and touched it's shoulder, the android slowly turning it's head to face her.

"We have nowhere to go...do you know any places here where we can spend the night?"

The android just stared at her, no signs that it showed emotion other than it's LED turning yellow and blinking for a while, before it simply stared forwards again, the LED back to its usual blue.

Of course, from what Kara knew, she was the only one like this - she couldn't expect other androids to feel sympathy or help at all, but she could at least _try._

Moving on, they walked further down the road - eventually coming to a large crossroads. Kara quickly scanned the available options: there was a coffee shop that wouldn't open until morning, a hotel they needed money for, a laundromat they couldn't stay in, a convenience store nearby that was open 24/7, and an abandoned house with a parking lot nearby - though it had a fence, so she'd probably need a tool to cut through it.

"There's a laundromat nearby..." She suggested, Alice glancing at the building in the distance. "It might seem weird for others to see an android and a little girl just on their own...but if I just get out of this uniform," She motioned to her typical apparel all androids wore, "Then it'll make me look more _human!_ They'll just think we're a mother and daughter."

"But...that's _stealing,_ " Alice stopped mid-walk, giving her a look of shock. The android only looked away. "What if there's someone in there, what if we get caught?"

"Well..." Kara felt embarrassed at that moment, thinking about what she would do in that situation. "...we'll just have to find out. I know that it's wrong, but most of the people here hate androids - I've been with... _other families_ before you and your father, and I've seen them get pushed around on the street. Some places are strictly against androids, too." Alice only stared down at the floor, and she tried to reassure her. "Looking human...it'll at least make things easier for both of us."

Alice said nothing, but didn't let go of her hand as they walked in.

It was still late at night, so Kara didn't really expect there to be anyone in the laundromat, except maybe people coming to take back their clothes back. Luckily enough for them, there was just one person there - a young man with headphones on, asleep on one of the chairs.

With Alice sitting on a chair nearby, the android started searching the many washing machines piled on top of each other, finding some clothes just enough for a child - exactly what she needed.

She looked back at Alice, who frowned but didn't say anything else, and she felt a fierce wave of regret as she quietly opened the machine, getting a basket and placing the clothes in there. The AX400 turned around, not finding anything else - until she spotted a bundle of clothes, just happening to be in the sleeping man's hands.

Reaching down as slowly as possible, she tugged at them a little, before pulling them out slightly, stopping whenever the man began to stir a little. After a few minutes of this, she had finally managed to get them, putting them in the basket and bringing them over to Alice.

If she really had a chance to pick her own clothing, she wouldn't have chosen this, though she didn't mind anyway - a green jacket with white stripes going down the sleeves, some slightly baggy pants, and a beanie that she carefully secured over her LED - to the average eye, she'd look like any other human.

Meanwhile, Alice had wore a warm sweater and a coat over herself - it would keep the girl warm for a while, at least.

Another thing Kara had to take care of - while she was an android and therefore didn't need to eat, Alice was a human child. She'd have to get money to buy the girl food and clothes, and maybe even find a place to stay. There was a hotel nearby, but the possibility of them being traced...

They had just began walking to the convenience store, when Alice stopped, sitting down at a bus stop nearby. Though she had a coat on, she had still been in the rain for a long time, and she was shivering immensely by the time Kara went over to talk to her. "Alice, you're _freezing_."

"I'm okay...I'm not so cold..." She stated, though that clearly wasn't the case. Kara was about to deny that, when she heard a new voice next to her.

"You look lost."

Kara turned around, seeing another android with blond hair staring back at her. He was wearing a green uniform, and though his voice portrayed some sort of concern, his expression was blank. "Oh. Well, we have no place to stay - we were just looking for somewhere we could spend the night?" She asked hopefully.

"I know someone who can help you." He nodded, offering his hand. Kara paused for a while, before taking it, both androids' skin reverting to the layer underneath as they did so. Alice stepped back a little, unsure of what was happening, and then Kara's expression changed to one of shock upon seeing the data that was exchanged through their connection.

"But that, that's on the other side of town...we need a place for tonight-!" She looked up at where the android was standing, but he was gone as quickly as he had appeared. They both scanned the place for any sight of him, but they only saw a truck with the words 'GREEN DETROIT' on it pass by.

"Kara?" Alice glanced up at the android, who watched it disappear into the distance. "...Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kara quickly replied, her eyes still lingering on the road for a moment. "Yeah...I'm fine. There's a convenience store over there - we'll at least be warm."

There wasn't anyone else inside, other than a single cashier behind the counter. He glanced up as they walked in, his eyes devoid of any judgement that he would usually give an android. A tiny feeling of excitement sparked inside Kara - her disguise had worked.

When Alice had walked off, searching the aisles, Kara just stood there fiddling with her hands in nervousness, taking a deep breath as he stared back at her. "Excuse me...I'm with a little girl, and we have nowhere to go." More regret hit her like a tidal wave upon seeing the look he was giving her, like he would kick her and Alice out of the place if this went on any longer. "Could you give us some money so we can find somewhere to stay?"

The man let out a sharp breath of air, almost like a scoff - as though he thought that she was joking, but after a while his smile disappeared. "You're serious?" Kara nodded, and he looked away, shaking his head after a few seconds. "Look, this is a _convenience store,_ not the Salvation Army...I'm sorry, but you should probably go if you're not gonna buy anything."

The android took a moment to process this, a possible idea coming to her - maybe she could take it by force?

Any thoughts she had about that however, vanished as soon as she realised that Alice wouldn't like what she was doing - and she had already stolen something once today.

Her hand slowly reached into her pocket, checking if the gun she had taken was still there, and then she slowly walked over to the girl, who was currently picking up random things and checking how much they cost. "Alice, can you wait outside for a while?"

"What?" Alice's eyes widened, her voice a harsh whisper. " _Why?_ "

"I'm just going to ask for money - you don't need to worry, I _promise_."

Alice had eventually agreed with a shaky nod, and once she had gone out the door, Kara once again walked up to the cashier, the man just staring back as she approached.

Slowly reaching into her pocket, she grasped the handle of the gun, closing her eyes as she did so...and she brought it up in a flash, the cashier nearly jumping out of his skin at the sight of it being pointed in his face. "Don't move an inch, or I'll _shoot!_ "

Pushing back the unease creeping through her system, Kara tried to keep her voice as even as possible. "Open the cash register, and put the money on the counter."

He had raised his hands, putting one down to do as she said, the AX400 only lowering her gun slightly. Flashes of Alice's room, staring down the barrel of the gun as she pointed it at Todd came back for few seconds, and she only gripped the weapon tighter, only being pulled out of her thoughts upon hearing the doors slide open.

Quickly hiding the gun in her pocket, they both watched as the man walked by, picking up a bag of chips and a drink can and going to pay. As he walked towards them, Kara harshly whispered. "Not a word."

The cashier nodded, and they both just stood there awkwardly as the man walked up to the counter. "Is it okay if I start paying for these, or are you already..."

"No, no," Kara only gave him a polite smile in response. "Go ahead." She just stood there awkwardly as the cashier scanned the items, and the second the man walked out she held up the weapon again, the cashier's hands once again raised.

"O-Open the register!" She repeated slightly louder this time, her LED flashing a bright crimson underneath the hat she was wearing.

The human obliged, seemingly doing what she had said and slowly reaching down...and within seconds he had picked up a gun of his own and pointed it at _her_.

Kara's mechanical heart nearly skipped a beat, her face clearly portraying her shock.

"You'd better put that gun away and get out of here," The cashier's voice was firm, a polar opposite to how fearful he had been when she had first threatened him. "Before things get worse for you." A huge sinking feeling erupted from deep inside her, and then she realised just how stupid she had been - of course he would have a weapon too, there were security cameras all around the place, she should have known!

And yet, her eyes slowly drifted to the girl outside, who needed the android just as much as _she_ needed her.

A familiar feeling of determination sparked once again, and before she knew it she had spoken, her tone more serious than ever before. "You see that little girl out there?"

Silence.

"The one I came in here with at first? Her name's Alice," Regardless of any regret, she kept going. "She's nine years old, and this is the worst night of her life." The man in front of her still said nothing, but he loweredhis gun slightly. "She's been through hell... _nobody_ should ever experience what she's had to deal with, and we only managed to escape tonight. We only have each other now, and I _want_ to keep her safe."

She could tell the cashier was beginning to have doubts, and she tried to be convincing. "All I need is a few dollars so we can find somewhere to stay, maybe buy some food and clothes for her - and I'm not leaving without it." By now his grip on the weapon was shaky, and his expression softened a little.

Once again reaching into the cash register, he placed a few dollars into her hand, the two staring at each other for a few more seconds. He only gave her a nod, and she placed the money into her pocket, walking backwards a little, before putting the gun away and walking out of the store.

Fortunately, Alice was still standing outside where she had left her, and she took the girl's hand in hers, the two of them quickly walking out onto the street before Alice pulled away. "Alice?"

"How...how did you get the money?" She demanded before Kara could say anything, the android silent for a while. "...Tell me!"

"I..." She glanced back at the store for a moment, before looking back at the child. "I just asked him for some money...I managed to convince him to give us some." Alice looked slightly hopeful at that, and they held hands once again, a strong bond between the two of them.

"It just might be enough for us to get into that hotel over there...but we might get traced. Todd...I almost _strangled_ him in that room." They both stiffened at the thought of that, and Kara tried to push the memories away as she carried on. "He's probably going to call the police, or search for us."

"...So we can't stay there?"

"We could, although it'll be risky..." Kara sighed, knowing Alice was slightly disappointed by the look on her face. Remembering what she had scanned earlier, she turned in the direction of the abandoned building nearby. It would obviously be uncomfortable for the child, but it was the safest possible option they had - nobody would check in a place that nobody had lived in for years.

"There's a building over there, though - it might not be in the greatest care, but it's maybe the safest option we have."

* * *

 

The parking lot nearby was empty with the exception of a lone car that looked like it had been there for weeks or even months - the doors were shut tight, and Kara couldn't find any tools around to maybe break the window or pry it open with. Of course, the building was nearby, but a wire fence was still blocking it, and so the android searched the place until she found a slightly rusted pair of wire cutters lying on the ground, hidden in a dark corner.

Hoping they would still work well, she got to work on the fence, carefully cutting the wires here and there - it took a while, but eventually she pushed the area she had cut open, and now there was a hole just big enough for her and Alice to fit through. With the girl just behind her, she began to crawl through it-

Kara's eyes widened, her hand flying to her shoulder as a rush of pain surged through it, Alice giving her a look of concern. "Kara, are you okay?" The android slowly looked down and immediately realised what had happened - one of the wires had cut through into her skin, leaving a few drops of blue blood falling to the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine...it's just a scratch, nothing to worry about." Helping the child through so they same thing couldn't happen to her and then standing up, she stared at her surroundings. There wasn't an entrance in sight, though maybe if she walked around it...

Kara did just that, not noticing the girl let go of her hand upon seeing something...or _someone_ in the shadows.

Scanning the place, she could only see some barred-up windows and musty walls - this place had obviously been in better condition before, and Kara wondered if anyone had actually lived in it. Then, she realised Alice wasn't holding her hand anymore.

She glanced down at where Alice should have been and then around the place, gradually getting more panicked. "...Alice? _Alice?_ "

She instantly broke into a sprint, running around the corner, and the sight she was met with made her freeze at what she saw.

Alice was standing there, with a knife pointed in her face - a person in a tattered cloak slowly getting closer - the only sign he wasn't human being the bright red LED on his temple. The android stood there almost paralysed by the shock, and then she yelled, stepping between them. "H-Hey, what are you doing?!"

The other android didn't lower his knife, the blade so close that it was nearly touching her face. "Visitors..." His voice was quiet but almost nervous as he looked at her slightly - not acting like any other android she had seen. Kara froze at the thought - was he...just like her? Could he really feel? "Ralph doesn't like visitors...they're nasty! They may _hurt_ Ralph!"

"No, no, we're not here to hurt you, I swear! We didn't know, we just needed somewhere to stay." Alice glanced at her, pleading that this would go well - Kara only tried to keep her voice steady as she met the android's - Ralph, he had called himself - eyes. "She's just a little girl...whatever the humans did to you, she had _nothing_ to do with it."

"All humans want to hurt us..." He lowered his knife only slightly, before turning to face Alice, who had backed away so much she was against the wall. "...But Ralph won't let them hurt him again. No, he won't let them..."

"You don't have to worry," Kara reassured him, readjusting her hat so he could see the LED underneath, and retracting some of the skin from her hand, the android stepping backwards as soon as he saw them. "I'm an android too. We just need a place to stay..."

"Visitors are dangerous...look." He turned around so he could fully face her, his voice almost broken at the last word. "Look what they did to Ralph..." Kara nearly jumped back a step upon seeing the state the right side of his face was in - various burn marks, cracks and wounds so deep they cut into his skin, and dried blue blood from weeks, maybe months ago.

"You don't have to be afraid - we won't hurt you. _Nobody's_ going to hurt you," She finally gathered the courage to speak after what felt like ages - she knew people took their anger out on androids, but to see wounds and abuse on this level was unnerving. She thought about Todd and how he had ruthlessly tried to destroy her, and she felt bad for Alice, who had to witness the entire thing. "You have my word."

Seeing he was distracted, Alice immediately ran over to the android, Kara pulling the girl behind her as if to shield her from the things they had seen tonight - this would all soon just be a bad dream.

"You must excuse Ralph..."

Silence.

"Ralph still finds it difficult to control himself...sometimes his fear makes him do things he regrets..." Kara only gave him a look of understanding, but still said nothing. "Ralph has seen some hard times - he's just scared the humans will get him again..." He looked away, gripping his arm. "You can stay if you want...Ralph won't hurt you."

Kara felt Alice hug her from behind, and she knew there was no backing out now. "...Alright. We'll stay here." Ralph seemed more than satisfied with that, and he smiled for the first time - waving his knife enthusiastically in his hands.

"Come on!" He beckoned them as he began going in the direction Kara had just been, the two only staring back at him as he grinned even wider. "Come on, this way!" With no other choice but to follow, they began entering the house as Ralph started to ramble on about his past.

"Ralph has lived her since he ran away...Ralph never goes outside, so nobody knows he's here." Kara imagined he probably couldn't be seen in general, due to him being scarred so badly - she didn't think he liked to talk about the subject either, so she just stayed quiet. "Humans come in to squat from time to time, but, you know, Ralph just hides until they leave."

He opened the door in front of them, revealing the inside of the house - there was some clutter around, but at least there was a roof over their heads. Alice was holding onto her arm even tighter by now, still a little scared of him. "You can make yourselves at home here! Ralph is just gonna go in the other room." Kara just stared at him in confusion, and his smile was gone for a few seconds. "He would like to stay with you, he really does...but he has things to do."

Alice gazed at the place with a slightly  
disappointed look, and Kara put a hand on her shoulder. "I-It's just for one night, Alice...we can find a better place tomorrow?" Scanning the place, she went through all the options she had for a place to sleep. "Why don't you sit down over there, and I'll start a fire."

Taking some pieces of paper, planks of wood and a worn old book, she went over to the fireplace and carefully put them inside, before wandering into the other room, a kitchen presumably, to search for matches or anything she could use. She only stopped however, upon hearing a scratching sound - looking over and seeing Ralph carve something out with his knife into the wall, several symbols just like it all over the place.

She slowly stepped closer to take a look, and that was when she realised that these weren't just symbols - it was writing. Maybe a code, or a name, but it was the same thing, carved over and over.

_rA9. rA9. rA9. rA9. rA9..._

Ralph seemed so absorbed in writing out that word that he didn't even hear her speak at first. "That symbol, rA9...what does that mean?"

Stopping for a moment with the knife gripped tightly in his hands, he turned around, surprised that she was there. "What?"

"That word...why are you writing that so much?"

He gazed down at the knife in his hands for a while, before his eyes widened and they met her own, with a sense of fear. " _I_ don't know," He said, the first time he hadn't referred to himself in the third person since she had met him. "I don't know." He paused, and then began carving those symbols in the wall at a faster speed.

Not wanting to bother him any longer, the android walked away, but that...word still lingered in her head.

rA9.

Why did that sound so familiar to her even though she had never heard of it?

She found some matches on a nearby counter, and as she reached the door, she noticed another piece of writing on the wall - much bigger this time, and the words stood out to her more than anything.

_I'M ALIVE._

Pushing back the overwhelming unease creeping through her insides, she quickly got out of the room, Alice right where she left her. Without a word she lit a match and started the fire, warmth and light returning to the room. Alice immediately got up and sat in front of it to deter the cold, and the android picked up a slightly worn pillow and a blanket nearby, laying them on the floor so the child could sleep.

Alice only stared into the fire a fee seconds longer, before moving towards the blanket, sitting with her legs crossed and her gaze moving to the floor. The android knelt down to her level, silently asking what was wrong and then she spoke, her voice quiet. "...Why didn't he _ever_ love me?"

Kara remained silent, unsure of what to say as the girl continued, close to tears. "After Mom left...I just wanted us to be a family again. I just wanted us to be happy, like before...why couldn't he do that?"

"...Back in your room, I saw your drawings." Kara stated, remembering that single drawing of Alice standing there with blood leaking from the side of her head. "I know a little of what happened...but are you okay to talk about it?" Alice was silent for a while, and the android quickly tried to comfort her. "Y-You don't have to if you don't want to."

The girl took a deep breath, trying to remember most of what happened, and she nodded. "No, I'm okay with telling you...you probably had to find out sooner or later." Kara patiently listened, and the child spoke again. "Dad...used to be a taxi driver...he loved his job, but then new cars were made and he stopped. He tried many jobs after that, but he mostly quit them or was replaced..."

"By androids," Kara finished, remembering what he had said earlier. "I've heard people say they started taking everyone's jobs."

"So...after a while, he started going somewhere in the middle of the day. I don't know what it was, but he came back with that...drug he always uses..." Her voice sounded broken now, and Kara put a hand on her shoulder. "He just kept getting more angry, and he didn't listen to Mom when she told him to stop...one day, she was at work, and all of a sudden, he-" Her eyes were shut tightly as painful memories came to the surface, as if trying to block them out.

"He _hit_ me...for the first time."

"Alice, I..." Kara had already seen the drawings when they were still in Todd's house, but the thought of Alice being hurt by someone who she had deeply cared about before...it made her feel an immense amount of sorrow. "I'm so sorry...what happened to your mother, then?"

"She came back and found that I was bleeding...and then she told me to stay upstairs." Alice finally had the nerve to look up at her, trying to remember what she had heard that day. "I heard them talking downstairs, and then Dad got louder and they were just _screaming_ at each other. She didn't say anything about what happened or where she was going afterwards, for a while...but she told me she couldn't stay there anymore. She left a few days after..."

There was silence for a moment, no sound except the crackling of the fire.

"...Why couldn't we just be together?" She cried, her face streaked with tears. "Why...why does everyone have to leave?"

"I...I don't know," The android had no idea what words to say - although she just wanted the girl to be happy and safe. "I don't know...but I won't leave you, I _promise_."

"You...promise?"

"Of _course_ , Alice." Kara nodded, and then the girl did something she never would have expected - she hugged her. The android didn't know how to return it at first, but then a flare of warmth sparked inside her, and she slowly wrapped her arms around the girl, wanting nothing more to protect her.

"...Will we be together forever?"

" _Forever._ "

And there they stayed, only having each other for comfort - the times they'd go through would be difficult, and Kara was still adjusting to being alive again - but if the humans would ever give her freedom someday, she'd want to spend it with Alice.


	5. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Kara experiences a revelation that leads her to question herself and what she could do if her emotions ever get out of control, and meets another android who she'll encounter many times in the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally decided to update after a long time, and I want to thank you all for being patient! I'm actually glad most of you enjoy this story, since I expected most people to prefer Kara's original one.
> 
> This chapter really just sets things up for the rest of the story, because Zlatko will appear in the next few chapters one and the story will have major changes from there.
> 
> Anyway, here it is!

The storm had subsided a little, no longer as harsh as it was the night before, although Kara could still hear the light rainfall outside. She looked to her left: Alice was still unconscious, having fallen asleep in her arms after they had comforted each other ages ago.

Careful not to disturb her, Kara slowly got to her feet, wondering when they should still get ready to leave - she had told Ralph that they were staying just for one night, although Alice was still asleep now. Besides, they were only going to get help - Ralph had looked so happy when they had agreed to stay, so maybe he wouldn't mind if they lived there a little longer?

The AX400 went through her memory, remembering the information exchanged when she had met that mysterious android on the street - she had gotten glimpses of overgrown plants, a large mansion and one name: _Zlatko._

He had explained that whoever 'Zlatko' was would help them, but nothing else - she knew that some humans hated androids to the point where the act of abusing and pushing them around was almost commonplace, but she had never expected that some of them were willing to help androids that could feel and were _alive_ , like her and Ralph.

That also meant she possibly wasn't the only one.

Focusing on Alice for a few seconds, she was reminded of her promise. That girl had been through so much, and they had literally escaped from hell last night...she had sworn to protect her, and that was what she'd do.

Kara scanned her body: there were no signs of distress, and it seemed like it would be a short while before she woke up. In an attempt to ease her mind she decided to take more time to explore the house, though not before taking some pieces of wood nearby and putting them on the fire so Alice would still have warmth. She hadn't gone upstairs when they had first got here at least, so she decided to start from there.

She was just about to do so, until her eyes fell on a mirror in front of her and she gave herself a once-over for the first time since yesterday.

The hat she was wearing was slightly tilted up, her LED still visible and flashing yellow for a second: an instant sign she wasn't human. Sure, she could just cover it up again - but if the hat was ever taken off or not adjusted properly in public...

Kara sighed at the thought of that. She'd have to take care of it in some way.

Observing the top floor, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom, another mirror displaying her image to her. Her face was like that of any other AX400; hammering in the fact that no matter her efforts to look or act human, she'd always be an android in the end.

Worn, rusted scissors lay inside the sink. She knew what she had to do.

Taking off her hat and slowly raising the blades of the scissors towards where her LED was on her right temple, she took a deep breath and _jammed_ them into her skin. A sharp pain surged through her as they went underneath it but she kept going regardless, tipping them upwards with all her might and making the component fall out, clattering uselessly into the sink.

She winced, reaching up to touch where it had been, a small scar in its place, before her skin went over the plastic, looking as if nothing had happened - she looked _human_.

Grinning in triumph, she focused focusing on the scissors once more, before she pulled some strands of her hair away from her face, raising the scissors and cutting them in an instant.

For a few minutes, she repeated the actions again, tiny pieces of hair falling into the sink, and finally she cut off her ponytail in one swift movement leaving her hair in a short style.

This was partly because people would recognise her model what with the hairstyle that all AX400s had, although she liked this style much better because it made her feel unique. She was no longer a thoughtless machine designed to satisfy someone's needs and nothing more. She was a _person_ , with her own choices to make.

Turning around, she began to leave the room when she caught a glimpse of something in the bathtub nearby, most of it hidden by a shower curtain.

Slowly approaching it, she took the curtain, bracing herself to run if something was hiding in there, and pulled it away with a swift moment. 

Kara nearly jumped back a step in horror upon seeing what lay behind it.

A man with slightly dirty clothing lay there, his skin so pale it was almost a shade of grey, and his neck bent at an _odd_ angle. Dried blood leaked out of his mouth, and there was a large slit in his throat, signifying just how he had died. The android just stood there in horror, wondering when this had happened and how long that man's body had been rotting there for.

And then, her thoughts went to the only other person who could have done that to him - _Ralph._

Did he do this - and on purpose? Was it an accident? She knew he had been hurt by humans before, but he couldn't possibly go that far, could he?

The thought of the first time they had met, when she had seen him point a knife in Alice's face simply because she was human...

And then she couldn't think anymore, shock and nausea overwhelming her senses and making her extremely dizzy. Androids didn't need to eat: but if they did, she was sure her stomach would have emptied itself by now.

One step after the other, she stumbled out of the room and nearly collapsed on a windowsill, blankly staring out of it before her eyes widened. As if this moment couldn't get worse enough - her fears had been proven.

The police were outside.

* * *

 

They had only gotten this case a few hours ago - a man had reported that he had been repeatedly assaulted by his AX400, to the point where it had nearly strangled him in one of the bedrooms in his house. Recently, it had been sighted in the Ravendale district, having robbed a convenience store at gunpoint nearby - and now more people were patrolling the place, trying to see if it was still there.

But they weren't the only ones investigating.

In recent times, there had been an increase in reports of androids malfunctioning and feeling emotion, even to the point where they attacked or murdered the humans who owned them.

As a result, for cases like these, the company that manufactured them on a daily basis: Cyberlife, decided to create a prototype android that would assist officers in their work, more advanced than any other in history.

And that android was named Connor.

Connor was an _RK800_ , a model specifically designed to investigate cases like these on what Cyberlife called 'deviants' - and capture them to gain more information, or as evidence in the overall case. He had all sorts of abilities and functions; analysing evidence within seconds, interrogation techniques, and even programming that allowed him to adapt to any social environment.

If anyone could solve this case, this _epidemic_ spreading across the country - it was him. He had to.

And accompanying him was his partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, an older man who had clearly seen better days - although he seemed to have some vendetta against androids for some reason, which Connor wasn't bothered by.

For a while, it they were getting nowhere - there were no AX400s in sight except ones that weren't affected by deviancy. However, Connor had decided to view the case with a sense of logic - deviants had the ability to emulate emotion similar to that of a human, and most of them attacked or murdered their owners due to it getting out of control.

They were obviously new to this - he had even interrogated one a while ago, who had hidden in the same place for weeks because there was nobody to tell him what to do...

One thing was certain; that AX400 didn't have a plan when it had run away. It couldn't have possibly gone far from here, and as he spotted an abandoned building in the distance an idea came to him.

* * *

 

Two men were walking right across the street, towards where the building was.

She could only watch, her mouth agape, before she snapped out of it, wordlessly looking down the stairs, where Alice was. If the police found them, they were busted - she might be destroyed, and Alice...they'd probably return her back to her father.

That in itself was practically signing a death warrant.

They had to get out of here - she had to warn Alice, or even Ralph, because they could make him suffer even more than he had already been through once they caught sight of him. With that, she ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet a few times in the process.

"Alice, we've gotta go-"

She stopped in her tracks, seeing that Alice was awake - but _Ralph_ was there, having set up a table and some chairs, and cheerfully waving a dead rat around like there was nothing wrong. Upon noticing her arrival, he only grinned wider.

"Ralph found this to feed the little girl!" He dangled the animal by its tail with a smile on his face, while Alice looked like she wanted to be sick. "It's good for her...a _present_...to make up for past misunderstandings. Ralph will cook, just like the humans. They like eating burnt meat, don't they?"

 _Great_. And it had to be at this particular time, as well.

"Come on! Sit down." He beckoned her excitedly, and she just stood there mid-stride for a few seconds.

_No._

_No, not now! Why now, of all times?_

With no other choice she begrudgingly did as he said, slowly sitting down much to Alice's dismay - the two could have a silent argument using their facial expressions alone.

"That's better," Ralph nodded, setting the rat down onto the table and grabbing a chair for the girl in question. "Ralph went through a lot of trouble to find something for the little girl to eat." He pushed her into the seat despite her silent protest. "Sit down...it wouldn't be polite for the little girl to refuse, would it?"

He took the animal and placed it on the fire, muttering to himself about how succulent it would be whilst Alice gave her a look of desperation - maybe they should have just stayed in the hotel.

"Do something, _please_ , Kara," she begged, looking at the currently roasting rat in slight disgust. "I...I can't eat that!"

"What did she say?" Ralph turned around at that time, smiling almost threateningly. Not wanting to upset him, Kara quickly replied for her.

"She, um...she _can't wait_ to eat it!" He turned back around in satisfaction whilst Kara mouthed ' _I'll think of something_ ' to the child, just as Ralph came back to the table, placing the rat near her.

"She won't regret it! Ralph found the best, the _biggest_ one he could find!" He nodded enthusiastically, grabbing a seat of his own and sitting down. "Well, go on. _Eat_."

Kara could have sworn the girl had choked at the thought of ever tasting it. Confused at her silence, he twitched for a moment before slamming his fists on the table, his voice a bold yell. "EAT!"

Alice flinched violently, and Kara wanted nothing more than to pick her up and bolt out of the room in a flash.

"Ralph, I...I saw a body upstairs." She began, trying to change the subject before things could get more uncomfortable. "Did _you_..."

Kara quickly shut her eyes as flashes of that poor man's body came back, how he had been left to die alone: something she had never wanted to see or even think about.

Then her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

If Alice hadn't stopped her back at Todd's house when she nearly lost control...could something like that have happened?

"...No." The words were harsh: and yet she couldn't stop them from coming out. "You...you _killed_ that man, didn't you?"

Ralph only blinked.

And then the LED on his temple started flickering, changing to a bright shade of yellow.

"No...no, he...he was like that when Ralph found him-"

"There's no point in lying."

Though the moment had only lasted a few seconds, it felt like they had been in there for all of eternity. And soon, Kara began to feel something deep inside her programming; something cold, but she didn't know if it was fear or something else.

"You hate humans because they hurt you...but by doing this, you're becoming just like them," Alice nearly felt a shiver go through her body, for she had never heard Kara talk so coldly before. "You said yourself that people stay here sometimes, and yet you just...killed him without a thought. You _murdered_ him."

"Ralph didnt mean any harm...no, it's just that..." His LED had turned a bright shade of red now, the android staring down at the floor as he remembered what had truly happened. "Ralph finds it hard to control his anger..."

Silence.

"When it comes, Ralph doesn't know what he's doing, he...he becomes _stupid_ , full of hatred." He looked like he was about to completely break down at that moment; all his emotions coming out from ages ago. "Ralph is sorry...he just wanted to be your friend..."

Kara remained silent, for she didn't know what to say, but instead only leaned in closer and looked him right in the eyes.

"Then _let us go_."

There was silence for a few minutes as both androids seemed to be debating themselves, and then they all froze simultaneously as an unfamiliar voice cut through it.

" _Hello? Anyone home?_ "

* * *

 

True to his word, Connor had decided to check the abandoned house nearby - at first sight, there was just an empty parking lot, but then he noticed a wire fence, cut open and with traces of thirium - blue blood - on it leading right to the deviant as he had suspected.

Following the trail that no ordinary human could see due to the substance evaporating after a few hours, he made his way to the entrance and gently opened the door, finding a scarred WR600 but nobody else in the middle of the room. What was stranger is that its stress levels were slightly high.

"I'm looking for an AX400. Have you seen it?" He asked, immediately searching the room for any possible sources of the android's stress.

"No...no, Ralph hasn't seen one..."

"Are there any other androids here?" He gave it a watchful eye, walking into what probably used to be a kitchen but finding nothing.

"No, no androids here...Ralph is alone..."

Connor's eyes observed the lower floor one last time, before focusing on the stairs and he paused, sensing the android's stress levels increasing upon realising what he was about to do. Without a word, he ventured closer to them, the percentage going higher and higher the more he went up them, stopping when he was almost at the top floor and looking back. "Is anyone upstairs?"

"No...nobody." Connor realised he was telling the truth, but if they weren't there, then where could they possibly be? An idea suddenly came to him as he glanced at the stairs once more.

What if they weren't hiding up the stairs, but under them?

The android started moving towards that exact area, finally getting his answer as he saw the stress go up to _critical_ levels the further he got. He bent down, peering into the small space... and for a milisecond, noticing two pairs of eyes staring back...

Before he knew it, Connor could feel himself seized from behind, the WR600 pulling him back with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Kara! _Run!_ " He yelled, and at once the AX400 ran out of the space, a little girl following behind her, holding her hand tightly. Connor struggled in the other deviant's arms for a moment before it finally let go, staring at him on the floor for a moment before bolting in a different direction.

They'd probably need to investigate it's whereabouts later - but for now, he was focused on the deviant he had came for.

"Connor, what's going on?!" Hank ran in a few seconds too late, unfortunately, and Connor got to his feet, running after the AX400 in a hurry.

"It's here, Lieutenant, call it in!"

* * *

 

Kara and Alice took off down the street, pushing through several bystanders and dodging the countless officers who either cried out in shock or attempted to stop them. All the while, the android thought of where they would go next - they had money, so after they got help they could find a place to stay.

In fact, if they went just a little faster they could almost get to the train station...!

"Kara, look out!"

Snapped out of her thoughts by Alice's cry, Kara narrowly dodged an officer right ahead before he could catch her with open arms, pushing away another one before running in a different direction - what seemed like a dead end, but a fence overlooking a large highway. "Come on, Alice!"

She made sure the girl could get over the fence and was safe before climbing it herself, and just as she made it on the other side and was getting ready to run, she heard something slam into it just behind her.

Kara only looked up in surprise, and then brown eyes met blue.

A man was standing at the other side of the fence, his eyes matching his hair, wearing a jacket along with a tie - the person who she had heard questioning Ralph back at the house. But she had never actually seen much of him before he had gotten pulled away - and that was why she was perplexed at the sight of his LED and the symbols on his clothes.

An _android?_

"An android...they're sending..." Her voice was almost a whisper, the fact that humans were sending her own _kind_ to hunt her down shaking her to the core. "I don't understand, why would they..." The woman was rooted to the spot, Alice tugging her hand not even doing anything to tear her from her stupor.

"Kara, what's happening?" The little girl tried a bit harder this time, struggling all she could. "What are you doing, we have to _run!_ "

Connor kept his eyes on the deviant at the other side of the fence, reviewing everything about the situation. Her stress levels were extremely high, and the words she had spoken were fresh in his mind, although he almost didn't hear them at first.

She was surprised that he was an android. She was genuinely shocked that he had been made for hunting down deviants and attempting to find the root of the problem, when he was one himself.

He found himself returning her gaze, internally wondering why he wasn't doing anything and focusing on the mission. Connor was designed to capture deviants - he had known that from the beginning, and the instructions he was given were always prominent in his handling of cases like these.

And yet, all his orders, his general revision of the case and a _voice_ , telling him to focus and find out more about this virus spreading throughout Detroit - they were strangely silent, as if something had switched them off.

Then his eyes fell on the child next to the AX400 and he focused on her instead: the deviant's owner never said anything about a _child_ with it. The girl was also there in the CCTV footage he had retrieved from the , so where did she come from?

Regardless of whatever they were both thinking, however, their moment was cut short when one of the officers the deviant had pushed away approached, his gun pointed at her. On pure instinct, Connor held his arm out to stop him. "Don't shoot! We need it alive!"

Finally out of her daze and seeing their chance, Kara dashed away so fast that Alice nearly tripped over her own feet in the effort to keep up, sliding down to the highway's level and climbing through the holographic barrier blocking it, gazing hopelessly at the cars and lorries speeding by.

"We're stuck...we can't go down there, we might get run over!" Alice cried amongst the chaos, while the AX400's eyes zeroed in on the other side, so close yet so far.

Stealing a glance at the other android still at the fence, she realised they only had two options: do nothing and get captured, separated and _destroyed_ in her case, or attempt to cross the highway and possibly get hurt or run over.

It was practically life or death, though the more she thought about it everything was stacked more in death's favour.

"If we don't do anything, they'll get us!" She pleaded with Alice, the girl's expression one of pure fear alone. She put her hands on the girl's shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. "We'll be separated, I might never see you again because I'll be destroyed, and you might be..." The android visibly winced at the thought of Alice back in that living hell again. "...I don't want to let you get hurt, I don't want _either_ of us to be."

What would happen if she was gone, no longer in Alice's life?

What would happen if she had been dismantled in her first moments of actually being free?

What would happen if Alice was returned to her father, living in relentless punishment made _worse_ by the fact they had escaped?

When Alice didn't reply, she squeezed her hand tighter both as a form of reassurance and a reminder of what she had promised the night before. "I promised I'd never leave you or let you get hurt, and I'm going to keep it. Please... _trust_ _me_ _._ "

The girl paused, staring up at the other android before she took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself, and the two began to cross.

They darted past a van coming towards them at high speed, narrowly avoiding getting hit by another vehicle before beginning to run faster, though Alice was scared out of her mind and her heart nearly skipped a beat as Kara guided her forwards.

Jumping out of the way of another car, they were locked in a bizarre rhythm of some sort. They would run across what space they could, dodge ones from both the front and behind, and carry on with some hope that they would survive.

Meanwhile, Connor watched them from a distance, not sure what to make of anything that had just happened. Before long, he heard Hank run to his side, panting heavily from the exhaustion. "Oh, fuck, that's insane..."

That snapped him out of whatever void he had been stuck in, and he immediately tried to climb over the fence and give chase, only to be forced downwards by his own partner. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to catch them - they're going to get away!"

"They won't...there's tons of traffic," Hank only stood by and watched, clearly tired of this already. "They're not gonna make it to the other side."

"Well, I can't take that chance!" The android attempted to jump up again, but Hank grabbed onto him and brought him back to his level with more force.

"You'll just get yourself killed!"

"That doesn't matter, but I still need to accomplish my mission!"

"For _fuck's_ sake, how many times do I have to say it?" By now his partner was getting more infuriated, refusing to let him go. Connor didn't understand why he was so insisting; he was a machine meant to accomplish a task. "Get down here, Connor, that's an _order!_ "

> _MAIN OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE DEVIANT_

_> ORDER RECEIVED: DON'T GIVE CHASE?_

_..._

_> CONFLICTING ORDERS - SELECTING PRIORITY_

Before the man could even register it, Connor had tore himself out of his grip with surprising strength and jumped over the fence, completely ignoring his partner's cries as he threw himself through the barrier.

Unlike the slight clumsiness of Kara and Alice as they had ran, Connor dodged past the vehicles with ease, climbing over one and sliding past a truck of supplies.

Upon hearing footsteps behind them as they began to sprint up the path, Kara had the nerve to glance behind her and immediately increased her speed, propelling the two of them across but narrowly missing a car as it sped down the road behind them.

The force of it going by, however made Alice trip over her own feet, and she screamed in fright as the woman reached out for her, pushing her out of the way and to safety.

Within a few seconds she was kept in Connor's grip as he had managed to keep up with them, and there was a major struggle between the two androids, from Kara's will to survive, to Connor's urge to fulfil what he had essentially been _made_ for.

"S-stop it..." She forced her words out, part of her hoping she could reason with this android, maybe to see if he could actually feel any regrets or empathy like her and Ralph. " _Why_...are you doing this?"

Connor gave no reply, and Kara desperately wrenched herself out of his arms the moment she saw a truck coming towards them. The other android attempted to dodge but was knocked flat on his back, barely managing to dive out of the way of another one before he could get his bearings.

So many things went through his mind - the deviant herself, Hank and the fact that he could have possibly failed his mission...

He glanced up, only to find that the AX400 and that child accompanying her were nowhere in sight.

"Shit..."

* * *

 

The train had a few people inside due to the rain, but Kara and Alice didn't care as they bolted down the platform, throwing themselves into an empty space as fast as they could and checking if that android was still there...

"He's gone," said Kara, more than shaken by all the revelations in the past few minutes. The fact that they were sending an android to hunt his own kind, who just wanted to live in peace...it made her shudder just thinking about it. "We're safe..."

Ignoring her thoughts and worries from earlier, she kneeled down to Alice's level as the train began to move. "Are you okay?"

Alice nodded slowly, her heart still pounding in her chest due to how much they had to run...and wrapped her arms around the android in response. "I'm fine...I was just so _scared_..."

Kara's entire body was frozen, the android staring up at the ceiling...before she leaned more into the embrace, glad they had managed to get this far as tears rolled down her face. "I know. I was scared, too...I'm just glad that we're both here. _Together._ "

And there they stayed, in a moment of pure trust, because they were one step closer to being free. After they sought out help they could start a new life, away from all the trouble they had faced to get there.

* * *

 

News of a chase between the Detroit Police Department and a woman suspected to be a runaway android had spread quickly throughout the day.

It got many reactions from various people; ones of confusion, worry that it could happen to other androids, ones of concern for people to stay safe, ones of anger either at the androids or Cyberlife themselves.

Nobody knew what caused these violent tendencies, strange behaviour, attacks and even murders.

All except the creator of Cyberlife himself, perhaps, who was currently staring at one particular record from the assembly line, created ages ago...and smiling.


End file.
